This is the second album from Swiss sludge/doom band Norna.
Norna contains 41 minutes of dark heavy ugliness, brought to us by the ex-singer of Breach and two members of Ølten. Norna’s music will surely satiate fans hungry for the heavier, darker side of sludge/doom/post-metal. Continue reading “Norna – Norna (Review)”
This is the fifth album from US sludge metal band Generation of Vipers.
I last heard Generation of Vipers on 2011’s Howl and Filth, which was a long time ago, (their last album actually came out in 2014 though, which I missed). Guilt Shrine contains 35 minutes of sludgy menace. Continue reading “Generation of Vipers – Guilt Shrine (Review)”
This is the fourth album from UK black metallers Gråt Strigoi.
Despite being four albums deep into their career, I’ve never heard of Gråt Strigoi before the wonderful Fiadh Productions put them on my radar. It’s seriously been my loss, as this stuff is so far up my alley it hurts. The Prophetic Silence contains 56 minutes of black metal that’s so good you should just stop reading this now and go and listen to it. Continue reading “Gråt Strigoi – The Prophetic Silence (Review)”
This is the second album from US black metal band Mnajdra.
Following hot on the heels of last year’s self titled debut comes In the Name of the Goddess; 50 minutes of apocalyptic modern black metal. Mnajdra’s malefic music has ascended to a higher level of spectral might with this new album. Continue reading “Mnajdra – In the Name of the Goddess (Review)”
This is the second album from Kurokuma, a doom/sludge band from the UK.
Kurokuma have come a long way since they started, from 2016’s sludge/doom EP Advorsus which pegged them as ones to watch, to 2022’s more adventurous debut album Born of Obsidian. The band are now back with the 38-minute Of Amber and Sand, which finds Kurokuma pushing their experimental side even further, while retaining their core of heaviness. Continue reading “Kurokuma – Of Amber and Sand (Review)”
This is the second album from UK stoner/sludge metallers Barbarian Hermit.
It’s been six long years since 2018’s Solitude and Savagery, but now Barbarian Hermit have returned, and with a different vocalist. Mean Sugar contains 44 minutes of new music for us to hungrily devour. Continue reading “Barbarian Hermit – Mean Sugar (Review)”
This is the fifth album from Canadian post-metal/sludge band Sumac, (who boast current and ex-members of bands such as Baptists, Genghis Tron, Isis, Old Man Gloom, Russian Circles, and These Arms Are Snakes in their ranks).
It’s been a while since I caught up with Sumac – 2018’s collaboration with Keijo Haino in fact, as well as their full length from the same year, Love in Shadow. I even had the privilege of catching them live in 2019. Apparently they also had an album out in 2020 called May You Be Held, which I somehow completely missed, which is a shame. All of which brings us to the immense 76 minutes of material on The Healer. Continue reading “Sumac – The Healer (Review)”
Apes are a grindcore band from Canada and this is their debut album.
I thoroughly enjoyed 2017’s Lightless, with its hybrid blackened sludge/grind assault. It wasn’t until 2022 that we saw new material though, with the EP Lullabies for Eternal Sleep. Thankfully we haven’t had to wait quite as long for Apes’ second album, Penitence. Continue reading “Apes – Penitence (Review)”
Huntsmen are a US progressive metal band and this is their third album.
Leaving a lasting mark with 2018’s striking American Scrap, Huntsmen made a strong first impression with their debut record. They followed this up with 2020’s Mandala of Fear, which saw the band go big in many different ways, living up to their early promise. It’s now four years later and here we have The Dry Land, which gives us 42 minutes of new material. What does the Huntsmen of 2024 provide us with? Continue reading “Huntsmen – The Dry Land (Review)”
This is the fourth album from international metallic hardcore band Sect.
Brought to us by experienced hands in the form of current/ex-members of bands such as Catharsis, Cursed, Earth Crisis, Enabler, Racetraitor, The Damned Things, Undying, and many others, Plagues upon Plagues showcases a leap in Sect’s musical journey when compared to their previous work, (such as 2017’s brutal No Cure for Death). Continue reading “Sect – Plagues upon Plagues (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 